Graham,
You have every right to your opinion.
One rhetorical question, politely asked, before you get verbally mobbed.
Did O'Sensei ever learn Kendo?
Keith

Thank you.
I would say he did as well as other kenjutsu. Was he not known for being very well adept with the sword and spear? Apart from that he had many kendo friends and as far as is written defeated a kendo master at one time. He went on to develope his own aiki ken style and as I said implied those principles involved were very much a part of Aikido. But all that is a separate topic for another thread. Historians would know much more data on that subject.